The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing needles that are stabbed into skin and that are used for medical treatment and beautification.
Skin needles can stab into human skin by being arranged to erect on, for example, the top surface of a sheet-like base, whose length ranges from 50 μm to 1 mm, and being held thereto. In a case where the needles are finely formed, a stabbed person feels no pain. In a case where the skin needle is formed of a material which employs biodegradable substances (e.g., maltose (or malt sugar) and polylactic acid) as major ingredients and is mixed with functional substances including cosmetic ingredients and effective ingredients, a tip part of the needle melts after inserted into the skin. Thus, the ingredients of the material can be injected into the skin. A person stabbed by the skin needle can obtain various effects according to the ingredients. For example, in a case where the material of a needle includes colorants, such as food red, as a gradient thereof, the person stabbed by the needle can obtain cosmetic effects on his skin. In a case where the material of a needle includes an ultraviolet absorber, skin stabbed by the needle can obtain a sunburn prevention effect. Additionally, in a case where the material of a needle is mixed with a medical agent, such as insulin, diabetes can be treated and prevented by stabbing skin with the needle.
Hitherto, a method of forming such a skin needle by injecting a material into a mold has been known as a conventional manufacturing method for such a skin needle (see, e.g., Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1: JP-A-2003-238347 (page 4)
The degree of effects obtained at the time of stabbing skin with skin needles can be adjusted according to the sizes and the number of the skin needles. Also, the length, the thickness, and the shape of such a skin needle are appropriately adjusted according to the material and the purpose thereof. According to the conventional manufacturing method, in a case where appropriate needles are manufactured, it is necessary to prepare several molds respectively corresponding to the needles. In a case where the number of the molds is large, the time and effort for preparing the molds and those for managing the molds are very large. Additionally, the mold for forming micro-needles needs precisely shaping and is apt to be costly. Thus, the conventional manufacturing method has a problem that the time, the effort and the cost are excessive. Such a problem is inevitable, especially, in cases where it is intended to manufacture various kinds of skin needles little by little and where it is intended to tentatively manufacture a small number of skin needles.